South Sudan Leads Global Guinea Worm Infections: Official
There has been progressive increase in the number of guinea worm infections in Kapoeta East County of Eastern Equatoria state, an official has said. 29 April 2013 Flooding in Aweil, South Sudan in 2012. Kapoeta East County has limited water supplies and due to drinking unsafe water, cases of guinea worm, scabies, eye infections and diarrhoea are common. [Gurtong | File] By Peter Lokale Nakimangole TORIT, 28 April 2013 [Gurtong] – Guinea worm is recorded the highest in Kapoeta East County among the ten states of South Sudan setting the country as the leading with infections in the world. Kapoeta East County recorded 19 cases of guinea worm infections this year while two cases were reported in other states of South Sudan; no other recent case was registered in other countries. According to the Director of the South Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program, Mr. Makoy Samuel, the high figure of the diseases has placed the country on a world record. He calls on county, state and national leaders to increase awareness of guinea worm infections through the media and public rallies to save the lives of the helpless victims in the rural areas. Mr. Dominic Franco, World Health Organization official in Eastern Equatoria state told the press that about 452 guinea worm cases were reported last year, in South Sudan. He says that most of the cases were report in the greater Kapoeta Counties of Eastern Equatoria state. In other States, 37 cases were reported in Warrap State, 24 in Jonglei State, one case was reported in Western Bar el Ghazal and Central Equatoria State reported zero case. A World Health Organization official who asked for anonymity explains that guinea worm is spread through water contaminated with the guinea worm larvae. He said that the World Health Organization works in partnership with the state Ministry of Health to strengthen Community based surveillance in most affected areas. According to a report, just like Kapoeta North county in Eastern Equatoria state, Kapoeta East county has limited water supplies, and after many years of civil war about 40 percent of the water points had not been functioning well and as a result, diseases due to drinking unsafe water were common, including guinea worm, scabies, eye infections and diarrhoea. Concurring with the reports, the region officials have included the two Kapoeta counties; Kapoeta North and South including parts of Budi County notably not limited to Kimotong, Ngauro and Loriyok payams respectively. The Kapoeta East County officials have said that the situation has improved with assistance from NGOs and international aid organizations. However, at least 90 percent of the population still have no access to latrines and instead use the bush. In May 2009 elders and women in Riwoto held a two-day peaceful demonstration after their three boreholes had broken down almost a month before. An Administrative officer’s Tito Abbas Lomoro who was representing the Kapoeta county commissioner said his office, working with the Carter Centre, had commissioned urgent repairs. However, he added, the repair technicians needed money and materials from the state government to do the work. In October 2010 it was reported that the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan had built two Urban Water Systems in Kapoeta North capable of supplying safe drinking water to more than 20,000 people daily. By 2009 there were less than 5,000 cases of dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in the world, most in Eastern Equatoria state, and there were good prospects of completely eradicating the disease. The Guinea worm case containment centre in Kapoeta North, operated by the then Southern Sudan Guinea Worm Eradication Program assisted by the Carter Centre, plays a central role in achieving this goal. Between January and March 2011 194 cases of dracunculiasis were reported from 93 villages and six counties in South Sudan. Of these, 43 were from Kapoeta North. While Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Niger, and Sudan are in pre certification phase South Sudan, Ethiopia, Mali are among Guinea worm endemic countries. Posted in: Home, Governance, Health -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
